Mail-box.



.LKOUBA,

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1907. 902,974. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

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J. KOUBA.

MAIL BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 29, 1907.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

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.iu Ila ROUBA, (FF PEEK, NORTH DAKOTA.

MAIL-B OX.

fie. 902,974.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN Korma, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pisek, in the county of Walsh, State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mail boxes and more particularly to that class designed for use on rural free delivery routes and the primary object of the invention is to so mount the box that it may be turned to assume several positions so as to indicate to the owner thereof whether or not there is mail contained in the box and also to indicate this fact to the mail carrier.

With the above object in view the invention consists in mounting the box in such a manner that it may be turned to assume two horizontal positions so that one or the other of the ends of the box will be presented in a certain direction, or may be turned to assume a vertical osition. The ends of the box are different y colored so that when one end of the box is presented toward the mail carrier he will know that there is no mail in the box and hence will not have to stop to ascertain this fact and when the other end of the box is presented its color will indicate the presence of mail. The box is of course turned to assume these two positions by the owner thereof and it is the office of the mail carrier to turn the same, after depositing mail therein, to vertical position so as to indicate to the owner that mail has been deposited.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the box and its support, Fig. 2 is a similar view, the box being shown in vertical position, Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the box while in horizontal osition, Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof whi e in horizontal position, and, Fi 5 is a vertical sectional view taken centra ly throu h the box and its support. Fig. 6 is a detai pers ective view of the support for the box, an Fig. 7 is a similar view of the plate which is swiveled to the su port and to which the box is attached.

In lil're drawings there is shown a post or other support 10 and upon this post is bolted or otherwise secured the support for the mail box.

The support abovementioned comprises a $pecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 28, 1907.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Serial No. 365,071.

circular plate 11 which is provided with integral ears 12 which extend rearwardly from the plate at equi-distant points and are bent outwardly at right angles as at 13, these latter portions being provided with bolt openings 14 through which are en aged bolts 15 which serve to secure the circu ar plate upon the post when in spaced relation thereto. This plate is provided with a central aperture 16 and also with an aperture 17 located beneath the central aperture 16.

A bolt 18 is engaged through the central aperture 16 and also through an aperture 19 formed centrally in a circular plate 20 the bolt serving to swivel the plate 20 upon the plate 11. U on the bolt 18 there is engaged a helical spring 21 and this spring bears at one of its ends against the rear face of the circular plate 11 and at its rear end against a collar 22 held upon the bolt by means of a transverse pin 23, it being understood that the tendency of this spring is to cause frictional contact between the two lates and thereby prevent rotation of the p ate 20 except when turned by hand in a manner to be presently described.

Formed integral with the plate 20 are a ertured cars 24 which ears project forwardlg from the said plate and receive between them a circular base block 25 to which is attached a cylindrical mail-box 26, there being screws or other fastenings engaged through the apertures in the said ears and into the box. Ihe mail-box 26 just mentioned has one of its ends hinged as at 27 and provided with a lock 28 and the ends of the box are ainted difierent colors as hereinbefore state In order that the circular plate 20 may be held at various points in its turning movement, there is formed integral with the circular plate 11 at the under edge thereof a bracket 29 in which is pivotally mounted a latch lever 30 which lever extends vertically and is provided at its upper end with a stud 31 which is adapted to project through the opening 17 and interchan eably into 0 enings 32 formed in the circular plate 20, t iere being three such openings to provide for the movement of the mail-box to the three dif ferent positions heretofore described. The latch lever is normally held in position for the engagement of its stud in these openings by means of a spring 33 which is seated at one of its ends in a bore 34 formed in the post 10 and engaged at its opposite end with a stud 35 which projects rearwardly from the up er end of the latch lever 30. At its lower cm the latch lever is provided with a finger piece 36 by means of which the lever may be grasped and moved to disengage the stud from the openings in the plate 20.

What is claimed is:

In a mail-box the combination of a support, a plate secured to and spaced therefrom, a plate swiveled to the first-mentioned plate, a mail receptacle mounted on the lastmentioned plate, said plates being provided with. openings which are adapted to register successively when the swiveled plate is rotated, a lever pivoted to the first-mentioned plate and projecting therefrom, a pin carried I l l l by the lever and projecting from opposite sides thereof, one projecting end of said pin being adapted to en age the aforesaid openings-when they are rought to register, and

a s ring coiled around the other projecting 20 en of the pin and engageable at its ends with the support and the lever respectively, for holding t 1e pm 111 operative position.

In testimony whereof, l allix my s1gna ture, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN KLHJBA.

Witnesses:

J. F. LovoIK, FRANK RAMSEY, 

